Something Different
by Herondale-Lightwood
Summary: TMI AU: Valentine experimented with demon blood on someone else, not wanting to risk his own children. Instead he tried angel blood on both Jonathan/Sebastian and Clary, successfully. Valentine and Jocelyn raised them together in New York, teaching them to be two of the greatest Shadowhunters ever. Little do they know there's soon to be a new arrival at the Institute.
1. Chapter 1

The demon lurked over her, hissing. It spit at Clary, a drop of acid burning her arm. From behind, Jonathan pulled out his last seraph blade, whispering a name to it. He crept up to the demon, then sliced the blade through its middle, cutting it in half. It left out a short screech before it fell, dead. Jonathan held out his hand to Clary. She grabbed it gratefully and he pulled her up. She smiled at him, "Thanks. I think that was the last of the pack." He nodded at her, "Yeah, they usually only run in packs of 4 or 5, and we killed 6 of those bastards."

"Jonathan! Language!" She teased. He laughed, "What? Just because I don't let you say it doesn't mean I can't." They both laughed as they began walking out of the alleyway. Clary tripped over a trashcan lid, stumbling into a wall. She winced when her burnt arm hit the wall. Jonathan looked at her, concern written on his face. "Here, let me see it." He went over and gently pulled her reluctant arm out so he could get a good look at the wound. "I'm fine Jonathan, honestly. I'll put something on it when we get back to the Institute." He frowned at her, "Or we could give you an iratze now." He pulled out his stele. Clary rolled her eyes but allowed him to give her an iratze.

"When will you stop being so overprotective?" Clary whined as he put the stele away and they began making their way back again.

"When you stop being so reckless." He replied. Clary glared, "It's not my fault those Moloch demons were so hard to kill."

"Well they had a bit of an advantage because of the way you decided to jump on the one farthest away." He said, raising an eyebrow as if daring her to refute him..

"They would've noticed us eventually anyway," She retorted.

"Not quite so soon, no." He replied, stifling a laugh. She shoved him playfully and stalked ahead, ignoring him the rest of the way home.


	2. Chapter 2

When they arrived at the Institute Church meowed at them until they followed him to the library.

"Jeez Church, what's the matter with you?" Jonathan asked the cat before going into the library. Clary laughed lightly and reached down to pet the cat before following him. Both their parents were there, as was their tutor, Hodge. Clary frowned. If all of them were there it had to be some pretty big news. Clary looked between the three adults, who had stood when they entered.

"Alright, what's the news? Don't keep us waiting." She asked impatiently. Jocelyn sighed, "Have some patience Clary. Why don't you two sit down. We're not sure how you're going to take this news." Clary sat hurriedly, wanting to hear the news already. Jonathan hesitated, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Clary grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the couch so he was sitting next to her. He glared but didn't say anything. Jocelyn sat in a chair across from the couch, facing them. Hodge sat in the chair next to her and Valentine stood behind Jocelyn, his hands on her shoulders.

"Go on Jocelyn, they'll find out eventually anyway." Valentine encouraged. Jocelyn smiled, looking between Clary and Jonathan.

"Someone new is coming to live here at the Institute." Jocelyn said, holding her breath as she waited for their reactions. Clary's face fell.

"Mom! That's it? At least tell us who it is then." She whined. Jonathan on the other hand, still frowned.

"Who? Why here?" He asked. They were both cut off by Valentine's voice, "Children! Calm down. His name is Jace Herondale, at least that's what he claims. No one's heard from the Herondale family for a long time, so as you can see there is some suspicion. He's coming here because it was agreed that we would be best able to handle him, if he were in fact a traitor." Clary and Jonathan both spoke up at the same time.

"Dad! Come on! We don't want anyone else here. Much less a supposed traitor-"

"This is crazy! What if he actually is a traitor? What do we do then-"

"Silence!" Valentine boomed. They both stopped talking, Jonathan clenching his teeth and Clary crossing her arms.

"Listen you two," Jocelyn said firmly. "I expect you both to have good manners and to be nice to this boy. I don't care if he might be a traitor to the Clave, you act like he's the most normal  
Shadowhunter you've ever met. Understand me?"

Clary rolled her eyes and Jonathan bit back a scowl.

"Alright, fine." Clary replied.

"Yeah, whatever." Jonathan said.

"Good. Hodge will let you guys know everything we know about Jace. Your father and I have some business to take care of. You guys can order takeout for dinner." Jocelyn instructed as she stood up. Her and Valentine left as Hodge pulled out a folder with "Jace Herondale" written on the front. Clary sighed and Jonathan leaned back, looking bored already.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well that was a waste of time," Jonathan said as he and Clary walked down the street to Taki's. "The only information on the guy is that he's my age, a Shadowhunter, and claims to be a Herondale."

"Well, look at it this way. Maybe we'll finally have someone to show off our angel-blood skills to." Clary suggested with a shrug. "Besides, I think it'll be nice to have someone other than family living at the Institute with us."

"Hodge isn't family." He pointed out. Clary rolled her eyes and shoved him, "You know what I mean idiot." He laughed, stumbling a few steps before walking in sync with her again.

"I do know. I just like annoying you. " He said.

"Oh my god you need a life." She responded.

"You don't?" He retorted.

"Oh, shut up. I so have a life." She replied, stalking ahead of him and entering Taki's. He chuckled and followed her through the door, only to run into her, frozen on the doorstep.

"Jeez Clary, what is it?" He recovered himself and looked at her. He followed her line of sight and saw what had frozen her; and was instantly annoyed. He grabbed Clary by the arm and pulled her into a seat at a booth. She snapped out of it and sat across from him, glaring. "What the heck Jonathan?"

"Me? You're asking me that?" He replied incredulously. "What about you?"

"Well it's not like I could help it." She huffed. She looked over her shoulder at the guy she had seen when she walked in. He was a Shadowhunter, clearly bearing the marks. He had amazing golden hair that shone in the light of the setting sun, and bright, mischievous golden eyes. He was currently flirting with the waitress, who stood in front of him blushing and twirling her hair. He smiled and she walked off, a bright grin on her face.

"Who do you think he is?" Clary asked, still looking at him over her shoulder.

"I don't know, but I want you to stay away from him Clary. He seems like trouble. "Jonathan replied with a scowl in both their directions. Clary gasped lightly and whipped around to stare at him. "How could you say that? Jonathan! I'm allowed to like people! Especially other Shadowhunters!" She reached across the table and smacked his arm with a menu.

"Hey!" He batted it away. "I mean it, I don't like him! Clary come on, I'm serious." Clary rolled her eyes in response and looked over at the golden haired boy again. This time he looked over at her. Their eyes connected and Clary smiled shyly. The boy smiled back, then got up and began coming over. Clary's eyes widened as she turned back to Jonathan.

"He's coming over here! Oh my god!" She hissed at him.

"By the angel," Jonathan moaned as he put his head in his hands. The boy reached the table, and Clary smiled up at him. Jonathan glared at Clary.

"Hey," he said at last. "I noticed you staring, so I thought I'd come over. Mind if I sit with you guys?"

"Go ahead," Clary said and moved over. "I'm Clary, and this is my brother Jonathan. Not that he has the manners to say anything." She glared at Jonathan. "Who are you?"

"That's okay, I wouldn't trust me on sight either, with my dashingly good looks." the boy replied with a smile. "My name's Jace. Jace Herondale." Jonathan's head snapped up and Clary's eyes widened.

"Oh wow, really? You're Jace? That's so cool! We're the Shadowhunters from the Institute here." Clary replied excitedly. Jace grinned, "That's good. You guys can show me around." Jonathan finally spoke, "Yeah don't count on that from me. I think I'm going to head home. See you later Clary." He nodded at her and stood walking to the door. Clary excused herself and stopped him

"Jonathan." She said sternly in a hushed tone. "Seriously, how the hell is that normal? By the angel, give the guy a chance at least! He seems nice enough." Jonathan scowled.

"Fine, I'll act normal. But I still don't trust him. And neither should you Clary!" He hissed, trying to keep quiet. With that he stalked out. Clary glared at his back and then walked back to the table. She sat across from Jace, who had been watching their encounter with an amused look.

"I apologize on behalf of my idiot brother" Clary said, still annoyed by Jonathan. Jace smirked, "It's alright. Honestly, he has every reason not to trust me. My dashing good looks and witty attitude for example." Clary laughed.

"Well don't be too cocky." She replied. The waitress came over and took their order, scowling at Clary the whole time. Clary smiled back looking between the waitress and her menu. While she ordered she swore she saw Jace's eyes go completely black. She shook herself, looking at him. His eyes were just as golden as before. She ignored it, thinking it was probably just a trick of the light, but watching him the rest of the time they ate and chatted.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for the follows and favorites! I really appreciate it! Feel free to offer some constructive criticism. Thanks for the reviews as well. I'll post as often as possible. Thanks for reading :)**

Back at the Institute, Jonathan went straight to the training room, hoping to release some of his anger. Who was this kid to think he can just barge into their lives and act like that? He threw punches and kicks into the air as he thought. He was just some random Shadowhunter though, right? So why did he feel so worried? Maybe it was because of Clary. She had fallen head over heels for the guy at first sight, which wasn't something she did. It wasn't something to take lightly in his mind. The boy wasn't that good looking, and he was much too full of himself. So how could Clary like him at all, much less trust him? Maybe Jace was using some spell or having a warlock help him to win the Shadowhunters over while he was here. But then why wouldn't he have trusted Jace? He growled in frustration and punched one of the training dummies, causing it to fall over.

"Ouch. I'd certainly hate to be that dummy." A voice spoke from the doorway. Jonathan whirled around, ready to punch whoever it was. When he saw the long black hair and the red pendant at her throat, Jonathan relaxed.

"Isabelle Lightwood." He greeted with a smile. He walked over and hugged her, glad to see one of his long time friends. "What brings you here?"

"Mom and dad heard about the new Shadowhunter coming here. The Herondale. They wanted to check him out, get an impression on him." She replied. Jonathan scowled at the mention of the guy. Isabelle's expression turned to a worried on at his scowl. "What's wrong? Did you meet him? What did he do?"

"Yeah me and Clary went to get dinner at Taki's and the boy was there, flirting with the waitress. Clary fell head over heels for the guy at first sight." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "He just didn't exactly come off as a great guy, you know?" Isabelle replied unexpectedly; she laughed. She met his startled gaze and spoke.

"That's it? You're worried about Clary? You're worse than Alec!" She said, hitting his shoulder.

"Hey!" He said. He was about to go on, but Isabelle interrupted him.

"Come on then, let's spar and release that bad energy." She pulled him to the middle of the room and they fought, punching and kicking, until they were both too exhausted to continue.


	5. Chapter 5

Clary and Jace arrived at the Institute and were greeted instantly by a group of people; Valentine, Jocelyn, Hodge, Maryse and Robert Lightwood, and Alec Lightwood. They were all interested, it seemed, in meeting the newest member of the Institute. Clary slipped away while everyone greeted and talked to Jace. To was almost to the elevators when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"What, I don't get a hello?" Alec asked her with a grin. Clary smiled and hugged him.

"Hey Alec. How are you and Magnus?" Clary asked.

"We're good, just getting past a few bumps in the road." Alec replied, looking happy.

"I'm glad!" She said. "Listen, I've had a long day, so I'm going to go shower and stuff. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Alright. Don't forget to say hi to Isabelle. I think she went to look for your brother." He said with a nod. Clary smiled and nodded back, "Okay."

She left, going up the elevator to her room to clean up. As she turned the corner to the hallway with her room, she saw Jonathan and Isabelle coming from the opposite direction. They were both sweaty but smiling and chatting. Clary frowned and stopped outside Jonathan's door. Isabelle smiled at the girl.

"Hey Clary!" Isabelle greeted. Clary plastered on a smile and hugged the girl. "Hi Isabelle. How are you?"

"Good, a bit tired from training with Jonathan." She replied, gesturing to him. Clary grinned. "That's good! It's great to see you, but I've got to clean up. I'll see you later?" Isabelle nodded, "Yeah sure, I'm going to do the same. See you guys around." She waved and walked down the hall and to her room. Clary whirled on Jonathan, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and glared at him.

"Problem, sis?" Jonathan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah actually. What was your deal today?" Clary asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Why, I don't believe I did anything wrong, besides being most sincere. Do you?" He said, putting on an amused expression. Clary's fists clenched and unclenched at her sides.

"You. Are. So. Irritating." She hissed. "What is your problem?"

Jonathan's face grew serious as he stood up straight, "My problem, Clarissa, is the fact that you are trusting a complete stranger. My problem is that you're falling head over heels for this _stranger_, which I might add you've never done in your entire_ life_ before. My _problem_ is that you are being completely unlike yourself, and I don't like it!" Jonathan ranted, growing louder with each sentence until he was yelling. Clary stood frozen, her fists clenched and her knuckles white. Her eyes shone as she considered for a moment if she wanted to respond or to punch him. She did neither, instead turning and running to her room, slamming the door behind her. She wiped her cheeks, the tears flowing against her will.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm going to try and make the chapters longer from here on out, but that means I'll probably post less often. Thanks for the follows, favorites and reviews! Don't forget, if you have any advice or constructive criticism feel free to post it! Also if you have any theories as to how this is going to go, I'd love to hear them~**

** ...**

Clary sat in her room the next morning, her sketchbook in her lap and a pencil in hand, when someone knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," she called as she closed the sketchbook and stood to put it away in a drawer.

"No need to stop drawing because of me." Jace said as he walked into the room. Clary turned to him, a soft smile on her lips.

"Yeah, I know, but I can't think of anything to draw anyway." She replied with a shrug. "So what's up?" Jace chuckled at the comment, then shrugged, "Just coming to say sorry about the mob when we walked in. I didn't get a chance to say bye to you or anything." Clary shrugged, "No big deal. I know how everyone can get. And besides, it's not like I went far. I think your room is, what, a few doors down and across the hall?" He laughed and she grinned.

"Well I had hoped someone as amazing as you would be able to show me around the Institute, but since that pleasure was taken away from me, I thought we could do something together today?" He asked. She blushed lightly and looked up at him in surprise, "Yeah, sure. That'd be great. What did you wanna do?"

"Well, I was actually wondering if you could show me around the city? I mean, New York is pretty famous and all, but I've never been here. Honestly I'd probably get lost on my own." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Clary giggled, "Yeah sure! Just let me get dressed and shower and such and we can be on our way."

...

Clary met Jace by the Institute doors, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. He was slumped against a wall, inspecting his nails and looking bored. Her heart leaped a little at the sight of him, his golden hair shining in the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows. Jace smiled when he saw her and stood up straight.

"So, gorgeous, where are we going first?" Jace asked, falling into step beside her as they left the Institute. Clary blushed. He called her gorgeous. He probably didn't mean anything by it, she chided herself. He probably says things like that all the time, especially to girls. She shrugged in response to the question, "That depends. Where do you want to go? We could look at the Statue of Liberty, browse all the unique stores, go to Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, one of the many museums, or there's the Empire State Building. And those are just the famous, touristy places." He laughed, surprised.

"Wow there's a lot to chose from." He paused, thinking. "How about the Statue of Liberty first?" He suggested. She nodded, "Fine by me."

...

The sun was getting lower in the sky, and it was about 5:00. Jace and Clary had spent the whole day out in New York City, being typical tourists (which Clary normally despised, but found was fun enough when she had good company). They had gone to the Statue of Liberty and the Metropolitan Museum, then had eaten lunch in Times Square and walked through Central Park. Their last stop for the day was the Empire State Building. As they made their way up, they talked and laughed, like they had all day. Clary laughed as she joked about him again.

"It's just a duck though! They aren't scary at all, if anything they're cute!" Clary said.

"Bloodthirsty little beasts I say." Jace retorted.

"So what then? You couldn't stay and face the duck? You had to run away? It's just a _duck_, and it's Central Park, do you really think there would be dangerous ducks with so many people going through the park every day?" Clary said, stifling a laugh.

"Hey!' Jace defended. "Ducks can bite. And they've never liked me anyway." After that he refused to say anything on the topic.

They reached the top level of the building and they went closer to the railing. It wasn't too busy, considering it wasn't a tourist time, and only a few people lingered up here. The wind was sharp on Clary's bare arms, having only a v-neck t-shirt to protect herself. She shivered, unable to help it. Jace noticed.

"You cold?" He asked. He didn't wait for her answer. Instead he pulled off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She accepted it gratefully and mumbled thanks, too embarrassed to say anything louder without her voice wavering, half wishing she had brought a jacket and yet glad that she hadn't. She shook her head at herself. What was she doing, getting obsessed with a boy she just met? Albeit, she did learn quite a lot about him during their time together today... She stopped herself again, refusing to admit anything. She was _not_ falling for this guy. Was she? She was torn from her thoughts as Jace pulled her closer to the edge. Exactly where she didn't want to be. She was about to pull away, and noticed Jace's arm had somehow managed to wrap around her waist. She smiled and stepped closer to him, then remember that they were getting closer to the railing. She froze.

"Jace." She said, her fear creeping into her voice. "I think this may be a bad time to mention this." She paused as he looked at her quizzically. "But I'm a little afraid of heights." She made a movement to step backwards, trying to get away from the high drop. Jace laughed lightly.

"Aw, come on. You can do it. There's a railing, and I've got you." He coaxed. She hesitated, but didn't refuse when Jace pulled her again towards the railing. Her heart pounded, the idiotic fear that she was going to fall causing her breath to hitch. She knew it was crazy, that she was very unlikely to fall, that there was a railing even if she did, and that if all else failed Jace had a grip on her. But the logic didn't stop the slight fear. They reached the railing and Clary couldn't take it, she turned to go back. Jace let go of her waist, taking a step back and standing in front of Clary stopping her softly.

"Clary," He said lightly, a hand cupping her cheek. "I know you can do this, okay? For me?" Clary shook her head and whispered, "Jace. I can't. I really, _really_ can't." Clary's heartbeat was going crazy, her breathing faster than it should be. Her eyes were wide with fear. He nodded and pulled her away until they were by the far wall. Clary put her head in her hands, "I'm sorry Jace. I know you wanted to see more. Just go back without me, I'll wait here." Jace shook his head, even though she couldn't see it through her hands. He pulled her into his chest, rubbing circles on her back as he soothed her.

"It's okay. You're okay. I've got you. I'm not leaving." He murmured, cradling her against his chest. She curled into him, laying her head on his chest, her face still in her hands, embarrassed at her own fear. It was a stupid fear, and not a strong one even. She should have been able to overcome it. She was stronger than that. Jace, still rubbing circles on her back with one hand, took his other hand and gently pulled her hands from her face. Her eyes shone, with tears. His thumb reach up and wiped away a stray tear and cupping her face. She looked up at him in surprise, his eyes kind and caring, staring at hers. She was lost in the golden glow, and she opened her mouth to speak, to break the trance his gaze held her in, but suddenly he was kissing her. She gasped lightly, but kissed him back, enjoying his mouth, warm and soft, against hers. Something in the back of her mind was screaming at her, telling her no, that this was wrong, that she should stop. But she didn't want to. Jace pulled her tighter against him and her hands went around his neck. She stood on her toes, trying to deepen the kiss. Jace got the message and kissed her harder, biting her lip. His hands went up to her hair, wild after the windy day. Jace pushed Clary against the wall, and any space between them was gone. Clary's hands ran up his neck and into his hair, fingers twining into the golden curls. Clary didn't know how long they stayed like that, kissing each other, but eventually Jace pulled back, seemingly having to force himself to. They both gasped, pulling air into their lungs. Clary placed a hand over her heart, it's pounding making it seem like it would rip right out of her chest. Jace propped himself up, his hands on the wall on either side of her head. She stared at his rippling muscles and then his swollen lip. Her fingers fluttered to her own lips, wondering if they looked as swollen, or worse. Jace, having caught his breath at last, cleared his throat and stood up straight. He reached a hand out to her, a smile playing on his lips. She took it, wanting to follow him wherever he went, screw the consequences. He led her through the door and down the building once more, snaking an arm around her waist. The whole time Clary was in a daze, and let Jace pull her along as she grinned like an idiot. Jace would occasionally glance at her and smile, pulling her closer to him.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: We're getting something from Jace's point of view this chapter! Yay~**

**As always, thanks for follows, reviews, and favorites! Send reviews and post advice/criticism. :)**

...

Jace paced his room, furious with himself. He had let today get out of hand. He was only supposed to make them trust him, nothing more nothing less. What was_ wrong_ with him? He had spent the entire day with Clary, not caring if she trusted him or not, only caring that she genuinely_ liked_ him. He was _supposed_ to care about trust, not feelings towards each other. He needed to gain their trust and only their trust. Especially Clarys and Jonathans. So why had he acted like he didn't have an ulterior motive? Why had he acted so, well, _normal_? He had run from a duck in the park, which his father had scolded him for many a time, rather than facing the stupid beast. Then there was the Empire State Building. _God._ He groaned at the memory, rubbing his face and running a hand through his hair. It had gone all downhill when they had gotten to the top._ Or uphill_, the voice in the back of his head taunted. The voice that was overjoyed with how the day had gone. He rolled his eyes and ignored it, pacing faster. He thought back to the moments on that tall building.

_The top of the building was magnificent. You could see for miles, probably. It was beautiful. He'd never seen anything like it before. Clary shivered as the wind blew and reflexively he asked if she was cold. Without thinking he gave her his jacket._ Damn that internal voice and that reflexive instinct. _She hadn't thought to bring one, thinking she could handle the weather she had lived in for 16 years now. Jace wrapped an arm around her waist. She didn't notice, lost in her own thoughts. He began pulling her towards the railing, wanting to get a better view. She stepped closer at first, then paused._

_"Jace." She had said, her voice tight with, what was it? Fear? "I think this may be a bad time to mention this." He looked at her quizzically, wondering what she was about to say. "But I'm a little afraid of heights." Jace laughed as she took a step backwards. He told her she could do it, asked her to, wanting to push her, see how far she would go. That voice in the back of his mind grew worried for her though, when she could only speak in a whisper. Her breath hitched and her heart was pounding. Next thing he knew he was pulling her away, the part of him he tried so hard to suppress, surfacing, unable to stop himself anymore. She told him to go back without her, see the view, that she would wait. And normally he would have. He stayed though, and he shook his head, taking her small body into his arms and soothing her, rubbing circles on her back. The normal part of him wondered what he was doing, why he was doing this all of a sudden, but he pushed the thought away, instead going back to soothing the small girl in his arms, finally letting that instinct take over for good. That human instinct. He pulled her hands from her face gently and saw her shining greens eyes, tears forming at the corners. A stray tear fell, and he cupped her face and brushed it away. He stared at her, feeling suddenly protective and kind and caring towards this girl. This random girl. Why her? He asked himself. He didn't want an answer though, and instead kissed her, softly. She gasped lightly against his lips before kissing her back. Somehow they ended up twined together, her back against a wall. He shook himself mentally and pulled away forcefully, wanting more, wanting her, but knowing he shouldn't, he can't, that's not why he's here. Only the human part of him kept him from fleeing on the spot, pushing away the thoughts that told him to stop._

He groaned again, furious with himself. How could he let some girl dictate his feelings? He wasn't here for her, he was here on a mission. The mission he had trained for his whole life. Breaking some Shadowhunter's heart was_ not_ what he was here to do. He whirled, pacing faster. What was so special about her anyway? She was just another girl, another Shadowhunter. She wasn't special. At all. So why was he falling for her? Was it because she had brought out his human side? The one he kept hidden from his thoughts at all times? At that thought he snapped, punching the wall in front of him. He _would not_ let _some girl_ bring out the human in him. The drywall crackled as it fell, leaving a gaping hole, just bigger than his fist, which was now bleeding. The pain stopped his thoughts, leaving him forced to care for his new injury rather than think.

...

Clary lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. That day had been amazing. The entire day spent with Jace, learning a ton about him. Jace kissing her on top of the Empire State Building. Oh man, he was a good kisser. Clary shook her head at herself. What was she doing, fawning over this guy? She was better than that, she was Clarissa Fray. She was stubborn, loved art, and _did not_ fawn over guys. She sighed and sat up just as someone knocked on the door once, then barged in. For a minute she worried over how she looked, disheveled hair, probably swollen lip, and still wearing Jace's jacket. She chided herself for not having already given it back. She smiled at Jonathan as he walked over to her and sat beside her on the bed.

"Hey Clary." He greeted, his voice monotone, giving her a once over, but deciding not to say anything. She paused, confused, before she remembered that she was mad at him for being so rude to Jace. She straightened her back, snapping to attention.

"Jonathan. Come to yell at me again?" She asked, allowing annoyance to drip into her voice.

"No, not yell." He shook his head. She was going to say something, but he interrupted her. "I just wondered where you were all day is all. You didn't leave a note or anything. For all I know you were kidnapped." He tone turned playful and she shoved his shoulder.

"You really should worry less." She scolded, glad she didn't have to be mad at him when she was so happy with everything else. She frowned at herself, but continued. "Anyway, I was only out with Jace." Jonathan tensed but Clary held up a hand. "Honestly Jonathan, you're going to have to accept him at some point, considering he's living with us now. Just try, please? For me?" Clary almost shuddered as Jace's words came back to her.

_"I know you can do this, okay? For me?" His hand cupped her cheek as asked her to come out to the railing._

She suppressed the memory, trying to put on a serious face again and looking Jonathan in the eye.

"Seriously." she said when he didn't respond. "I spent _all_ day with the guy. He's afraid of ducks, you know. Literally ran away from the ones we saw in Central Park." She smiled at the memory. Jonathan finally cracked and laughed, "Seriously?" She nodded and they both cracked up as she retold the story.

Later, as Jonathan was about to leave, he turned back to Clary.

"You know I've never seen you so happy, Clary. You're practically glowing. If he can make you that happy then I'll give him a chance, but if he tries anything, he's dead. Okay?" Clary laughed as a giddy grin spread across her face.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "Okay. Later Jonathan." He waved over his shoulder as he shut the door. She fell back onto the bed, staring once again up at the ceiling.

...

**A/N: I know this chapter is shorter, sorry! I didn't have many ideas on how to continue so this is really just filler for the most part. I'll do better next chapter, I promise!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: It's been a little while. Or so it seems to me. Sorry about that. I meant to get this up last night, but it needed edited still. I apologize. I believe this is over twice as long as any other chapter I've written. Sorry? Thanks for any reviews, follows, and favorites! As always, send more reviews and such :) Thanks for reading~**

Jace and Clary walked, hand in hand, down the now very familiar street towards Taki's. In the past two weeks that Jace had been here, Clary had showed him just about everywhere. They had started with the main tourist attractions, and then eventually had moved to the small shops that were Clary's favorite. The best cafe, the best places for coffee, chinese food, and pizza, and finally the art studio that Clary was taking classes at, learning to paint and draw better. Jace seemed genuinely interested in everything she did, listening when she talked animatedly about her art classes. They spent most of their time together, enjoying each others presence.

Jonathan, to Clary's surprise, didn't bother her about Jace anymore. Jace seemed to be growing on him, even though he strongly denied it. The fall weather was coming fast, to everyone's annoyance. Summer certainly hadn't lasted long.

The brisk wind made Clary shiver as they walked, and Jace drew her closer as they finally arrived at Taki's. Walking in, they sat at their usual table, Clary's back to the door. Kaelie, the waitress, came over to take their order, switching between glaring at Clary and attempting to flirt with Jace. Jace ignored her, simply ordering and then looking back at Clary, who in turn looked at the girl triumphantly. When Kaelie stalked off angrily, Clary turned back to Jace with a smile.

"Okay, so I've got an art class tomorrow at noon, but I'm all yours after that." She said. Jace smiled wickedly as he said, "Maybe I could follow you to your art class? Need a model? Maybe a nude one?" Clary laughed and reached over to shove his shoulder.

"Stop that! As tempting as that is, I'm pretty sure you aren't allowed to follow me into the class unless you've paid for it." She said, her laughter dying down. Jace didn't respond, instead he was staring behind her, at the door. He was sitting stiffly, back straight. His hands gripped the table, white-knuckled. Clary turned in her chair, confused as to what could have made him react like that.

In the doorway stood a boy who looked about the same age as Jace. He had shadowy black hair, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. His pale skin was a contradiction to it, and it made him appear almost ghost-like. His eyes were a pair of never ending black holes, so dark you couldn't tell where the color ended and the pupil started. They met her own forest green ones, and the boy smirked. She was captivated by his dark but handsome looks, unable to look away. A fog settled in her mind, and suddenly she couldn't think straight. She kept looking at the boy, trapped in his never-ending eyes. She felt a hand on her wrist and she jumped, snapping partially back to reality. She realized belatedly that Jace had been saying her name.

"Clary. Clary look at me. Clary?" Her mind registered his voice like it was turning the volume up on a radio. He paused when she finally turned back to him, blinking and disoriented.

"Sorry, what?" She said, shaking her head to try and clear the fog that had wrapped her brain as she turned slightly towards him.

"Clary, listen to me okay? Can you hear me? Do you understand what I'm saying?" Jace said. Clary realized slowly how serious his tone was. Distractedly, she started to turn back to the boy at the door, only to realize he was gone. Jace grabbed her chin gently, making her look into his eyes. She blinked quickly and focused on the smooth golden color. The haze began to lift from her mind as she was able to focus again. She began to panic. What was going on? What was that fog in her mind? Why was Jace so freaked out? What had done this to her? She didn't get the chance to ask before Jace pulled her to her feet and out the door, tossing some money on the table for the meal they never got. He led her down the street, Clary still dazed and confused. They got a few blocks before she pulled him to a stop, finally able to think coherently. He hesitated, but then kept walking.

"Jace," she said shakily. "Stop. Hold on a minute, okay?" He sighed and pulled her off to the side. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"Clary. I promise I'll explain, but for now we need to get back to the Institute, or at least somewhere safe." He said urgently, before she could say anything. She hesitated, but nodded. Jace leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly before taking her hand again and leading them the rest of the way to the Institute.

…

Jonathan smiled and greeted them as they walked in. Clary nodded and hugged herself as Jace went and spoke to him in a hushed tone.

Clary couldn't hear what he said but Jonathan hesitated, looking over at Clary worriedly, and then nodded and left for the kitchen. Jace escorted Clary to her room, glancing at her when he got the chance, a worried expression on his face. He sat her on her bed and leaned down in front of her. He looked at each of her eyes individually, then brought his hand to her forehead as if checking for a fever. Clary waited patiently until he was done, then raised an eyebrow at him.

"Jace?" She said. "What is going on? Are you going to explain or what?"

"No. Your brother needs to hear this too, we're waiting for him. Be patient Clary." He said softly, distracted. Clary rolled her eyes, ignoring the oncoming headache she felt. She opened her mouth to speak but Jace stopped her, "No, I'm serious, just wait. This is important and you both need to be here to hear it."

Jonathan knocked once and opened the door, carrying a cold washcloth.

"What's that for?" Clary asked, confused. Jace smirked at her, "Your headache and fever."

"Fever? What?" Clary was completely lost. How did he know she had a headache? And he seemed so sure she had a fever, or was going to get one at least. Jace took the cloth from Jonathan, who looked puzzled and worried at the same time. He gently push Clary back until she was laying down, and then laid the cool towel on her forehead. Clary was surprised when it seemed to help so much. Guess she did have a fever. She turned her head towards Jace, laying on her side and holding the cloth on her head.

"Will you please explain now?" She asked tiredly. Jace sighed, leaning forward and brushing her hair back behind her ear. Then he leaned back and groaned slightly, putting his head in his hands.

"Just know, both of you, that I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen." He said into his hands. Clary was scared now, and worried for Jace. Before she could say anything Jace went on.

"It's probably best if you both just let me talk for now." He looked up again, waiting until both of them nodded before sighing again.

"Alright. Jonathan," Jace turned to the boy. "Clary and I ran into someone at Taki's, just so you're caught up."

"Still unclear about what exactly happened there," Clary muttered under her breath. Jace cleared his throat, "Anyway, the guy's name is Sebastian, and honestly I was hoping never to see him again." He paused, trying to find the right words to explain. "First, you two need to know who I am, exactly. I know you guys have angel blood. I mean_ extra_ angel blood." Jace paused as he noticed Jonathan looked furious at this tidbit of information, like he was ready to punch Jace. Clary just sat there, stunned. The only people who knew about them was their parents. Not even the Lightwood's knew.

"How?" She whispered, truly curious. Jonathan was clenching and unclenching his fists.

"I know because I was experimented on as well." He spoke quickly, hoping to avoid Jonathan's wrath. "But I don't have angel blood. I have demon blood. It's not much, but it makes me just about as strong as you two. I was raised to embrace the demon in me though. To _use_ it. I'm not proud of it, honestly. I've hurt people, killed." He cut himself off. Clary was horrified. Before Jace could continue again Jonathan exploded.

"What the hell!" He yelled, standing up. "You're a demon!? By the angel, I knew I never should have trusted you!" His tone changed, deadly, threatening. "I can't believe I let you _near_ Clary! You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be anywhere _near_ here!"

"Jonathan, listen to me." Jace pleaded, standing up, holding his hands up, interrupting the other boys rant. "If I was trying to betray you guys, would I be telling you this? Would I have stayed here for so long? Would I have been so nice to you guys? Would I have tried to suppress my demon part? Would I have fallen in love with your sister? Would I have given up _everything_ for you guys?"

"You're in love with me?" Clary interrupted, sitting up abruptly. Her head spun, but she ignored it. Jonathan muttered, annoyed that Jace was right, and sat back down. Jace turned to Clary.

"Of course I'm in love with you Clary. I have been since the day we kissed on the Empire State Building. Since the first day I met you." He responded, sitting on the bed beside her. Clary smiled at him warmly, "I love you too."

"That's great and all," Jonathan interrupted while rolling his eyes., "but will you get on with explaining yourself, so I can judge whether or not you're allowed to love my sister?" Clary glared at him but Jace nodded.

"Like I said before, I've got demon blood in me. But, because so much of me is still human that. to avoid the feelings normal people get, I was taught to suppress my humanity. After that I was trained, and then sent here on a mission, which my humanity got in the way of. My emotions got the better of me. And I'm glad they did. Clary,_ you_ brought out the human in me. You made me _feel_ again. And by the angel it feels good." Jace couldn't help but smile. Clary smiled back.

"What about your mission? What was it? And what's with that guy, Sebastian or whatever?" Clary asked, still confused. "And why do I have a headache and a fever?"

"My mission was to get you two to trust me and bring you back with me." He replied in a rush. Biting his lip as he waited for a response. For a moment there was only stunned silence.

"Bring us back where?" Jonathan asked, suspicious.

"Back to the man who raised me, who taught me to embrace my demon part. Living right under the noses of the Clave in Idris." He explained.

"What about Sebastian? Who _is_ he?" Jonathan asked.

"Sebastian was raised by the same man who raised me. I'm assuming he's here to do what I have yet to, which is bring you guys back to Idris, under any means necessary." Jace sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Okay, but who is the guy _exactly_? How is he any different from you, or me, or a normal Shadowhunter?" Jonathan asked, growing more and more irritated.

"Well, where as I'm a small part demon, Sebastian is mostly demon. At least half. He's extremely powerful and very dangerous. He appears human, and so can blend into society, while still killing people and using them to do whatever he wants. Because he's got so much demon blood, he can, kind of, manipulate people. Clary, you looked into his eyes, and he was able to mess with your head. 'The eyes are windows to the soul.' Luckily, I was able to snap you out of it, but it resulted in your headache and fever. Sometimes there are other effects as well, such as vomiting, dizziness, a concussion. It all depends on how long he's in your head. There are people who've been attached to him for so long that they can't go back to their lives if or when they're freed from his control. They're lost, confused, and can't remember anything. They walk around, dazed and glassy-eyed and ill, vomiting and passing out randomly. Eventually they come running back to the only thing they can remember: him." Jace shook his head. "It's sick."

"That's awful." Jonathan said quietly, looking a little green.

"So," Clary said, shaking her head in disgust. "He was trying to control me? Get into my mind?"

"I'm afraid," Jace replied softly. "That he was in your head. Although it was for a short time, he was certainly there. I'm sorry." Clary gripped her head in both hands, as if to keep it from splitting.

"So, you're saying. That that _creep_ was _in my head?_" Clary was almost yelling now. The last thing she wanted was for Sebastian to be anywhere near her, much less in her mind. Jonathan stood up, "Clary, calm down. It's no big deal. You're here now, safe." Jace turned to him slowly, "Regrettably, that's false. It's a very big deal. In the time he was in her head he learned everything about her, you, me, and everyone's she's ever known. If he had been in her mind longer, he would've started manipulating her memories, erasing them or adding them, changing her perception on things. It could have been much worse, yes. But it's still very bad that he knows all about us now." Jonathan glared at him, as if saying 'Are you kidding me?', then threw his hands up.

"I'm going to bed." He said. "You caused this, you_ fix_ it." With that he stalked out, practically slamming the door behind him. Jace fought to keep from laughing, and Clary, who noticed, smacked his arm.

"Will you stop being so at ease? I just had a _psychopath_ search through my head!" Clary exclaimed. Jace sighed and moved further onto the bed, then pulled Clary to him. She leaned on him as his arms wrapped around her.

"I'm sorry you had to meet Sebastian." He whispered. This time Clary sighed, burying her head in his shoulder.

"It's not your fault." She said back.

"But that just it. It is. If it weren't for me he wouldn't have come here." He said. Clary was lost for words for a moment. She looked up at him. It was true, she couldn't deny it, but she smiled at him, "But then I wouldn't have you." His frown cracked and he laughed and leaned down, his lips brushing hers.

"There is that." He replied, smiling against her mouth, then kissing her again.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short! I just had the huge need to end it there... Hehehehehe. Sorry. Anyway thanks for follows, favorites, and reviews! Send more reviews, as usual. I accept criticism also! Thanks for reading!**

"I'll be fine," Clary insisted. Jace was reluctant to let Clary go to her art class, and kept urging her to cancel the class.

"Just cancel today. It's just one class." Jace said for probably the tenth time.

"And a very expensive one. I worked hard to get these classes paid for, so no. I will not skip a single one of these classes, no matter what anyone says. Understand?" Clary said firmly.

"Clary, I-" Jace began.

"No." She put a hand up. Her voice softened, "Just let me do this. I'll be fine. Honestly, I can take care of myself." Jace sighed, resigned.

"Fine. Fine! I'm probably just overreacting. You're right. Just be careful okay?" He said. Clary nodded, "Of course. I'll be back in about 2 hours or so." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips before leaving, waving over her shoulder.

…

The art studio was a 10 or 15 minute walk from the Institute- if she took the short way, which meant walking through a few alley's. She checked her phone; Not enough time to take the long way around, which would have kept her on the main streets that were always crowded with people. She scowled. If only Jace hadn't kept her so long. She was already on edge, and didn't need the worry of having to deal with whatever was down the alleyways. She made a snap decision, turning down one of the many alleys that made up her shortcut. She _would not_ be late to this class, not matter how worried she was.

There weren't many people around, just the occasional homeless person tucked away in a corner. It was sad, honestly. She might've stopped, had the horrible smell of urine not been so strong; Instead, she walked faster, making her way through the dim alleyways. She tried to keep a straight face as she continued.

There must have been something about her that betrayed her true emotions because she heard a voice behind her, male, and smooth as honey.

"Scared, little girl?" It sounded like there was a smirk in his voice, and Clary froze, against her mind that was screaming at her to run. She took a deep breath before answering.

"My name is not little girl." She said, her voice stronger and firmer than she had expected it to come out as.

"Oh, I'm well aware of your name little Shadowhunter. It's just so much more fun when I don't confirm those suspicions right away." He placed a hand on her shoulder, which stiffened under his touch.

"Come now. Turn around and let me see those wonderfully green eyes of yours, Clarissa." His smooth voice was teasing and tempting. Clary felt the strong urge to turn around, to let his voice wrap around her mind, and to allow herself to bask in it's beauty. Who would've thought, a voice having beauty. Clary shook herself and forced herself to stay put, and shut her eyes tight.

"What do you want, Sebastian?" She asked, her voice cold as ice.

"Tsk tsk," He scolded, "Come on Clarissa, I'm sure your perfect little boyfriend Jace has told you all about me and the plan by now. How about this._ You_ answer _me._ We've got, what, a few hours? You stick with me for the time you're supposed to be at your silly little art class and I'll let you go. And trust me, little girl, that's the first, best, and last offer you're ever going to get from me." His tone changed at the end, threatening and sharp as a blade.

"And what if I don't? What's keeping me from running back to Institute?" Silently she added, _what's keeping me from killing you_. She slowly reached for the blade at her side, the one glamoured against mundane eyes, that she always kept on her no matter what.

"I don't think you quite understand little angel blood." His voice was even more threatening than before, and it sent a shiver down Clary's spine.

"I _know_ you. I know about the decisions you've made and how you will make future decisions; For example, the decision to stall me, so that you can grab that useless blade at your hip." As he said the words, they both moved. Clary tried to pulled the seraph blade and called it's name, and whirled on him as Sebastian let go of her, taking a step back. He wrenched it out of her grasp in an instant though, before she could even fathom an attack, surprising her with his inhuman speed. She reached for the other blade she had brought today, the backup she had never thought she would need and so rarely had on her. Sebastian caught her wrist though. He plucked the unlit seraph blade off her hip and threw both blades to the side and laughed.

"Nice try Clarissa. I wasn't quite sure if you would have more than one blade. But of course you were extra cautious, not wanting to run into_ me_. Now, about that offer of mine. You have about 30 seconds to accept." Clary struggled, trying to pull her wrist out of his strong grasp, her free hand trying to break his grip; It only caused him to tighten his grip. She kept her gaze down, away from his eyes.

"What if I don't accept your offer? What then? Don't you need me alive?" She asked quickly.

"There are things much worse than death." He said in a low voice. "Like, for example, me having complete control over you. Maybe erasing all those precious memories of yours." With his free hand he took a hold of her chin, slowly forcing her to look up at him. She shut her eyes tightly.

"You have 10 seconds, Clarissa." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. She took a shaky breath, it coming out as a small whimper. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter.

"Fine." Clary whispered.

"Do speak up Clarissa, I can't hear you." He loosened his grip on her chin slightly, a maniacal grin spreading across his face.

"Fine! I'll stay with you!" She exploded in frustration. "Are you happy now?" She yelled, opening her eyes to glare at him, not thinking, her mind clouded with anger and frustration. He smirked and let go of her chin and wrist, his eyes locking with hers. He cackled, "Perfectly happy Clarissa. Absolutely overjoyed."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I know, I'm a bit awful for ending the last chapter like that. But I've posted this chapter now so you probably aren't too mad...right? Sorry if this is not really a great chapter, but I wanted to get something up before I had to go a few days without a real computer. Thanks for the usual, and send reviews! Thanks for reading!**

"Where are we going?" Clary asked, her short legs making it difficult for her to keep up with Sebastian. She was practically jogging to keep up with him. Sebastian looked down at her, eyebrows coming together.

"We're getting coffee, like we planned." He tapped her head lightly. "Remember?" She shook her head, "Oh, right. Sorry, I guess I got lost in my thoughts again." He chuckled, "As usual. Always count on my best friend to forget where she's going _as_ we're going there." She shoved his shoulder, "Hey, it's not my fault. I've got a killer migraine right now." She rubbed her temples. He raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have a fever or anything right? I don't need to be catching a cold." He reached over and placed his hand on her forehead, checking the temperature. "Nope. Feels cool to me."

"Oh good. I so didn't need a cold when I've got that art piece to get finished." She replied, relieved.

"How are classes going anyway? They better be good, or else I'll feel bad for making you skip today's to hang with me." He teased. She laughed, somewhat forcefully.

"They're going fine." She said. Her eyebrows came together as she tried to think of why exactly she skipped today's lesson. "Sebastian. Remind me again why I had to skip class to hang with you?"

"Don't be vain Clary." He frowned at her. "You know you're my best friend, of course you're going to make time for me. If the Clave would just let me in the Institute!" He joked. Clary smiled, still unsure why she couldn't remember that. A memory popped into her mind. The first time Clary had brought Sebastian to the Institute, when they were little. Hodge had been furious at her, had yelled. She frowned. Hodge would never yell at her though, would he?

"I know that face. What's up? What are you thinking about?" Sebastian's voice cut through her memory. She smiled up at him.

"I was just thinking of the first time I tried to bring you into the Institute, how mad Hodge had been." She said, still thinking. His nose wrinkled.

"Hodge. What a grumpy old man. I still can't believe he doesn't like me. I'm a perfect gentleman" He said, pretending to be offended. Clary laughed, "He doesn't like any mundane, don't worry."

"That's true. I won't take it personally then." He said with a shrug. They had arrived at the coffee shop, the one the always went to when Clary snuck out to hang out with him. Hodge hated it when she hung out with the mundanes, but Clary couldn't help it. Sebastian was her best friend, and since they were no longer in the same art class, she rarely saw him.

"The usual?" He asked as he walked towards the counter. Clary nodded with a smile.

...

Back at the Institute Jace greeted her with a grin.

"Hey. How was class?" He asked, wrapping his arm around her as they walked towards the elevator.

"Fine, same as always." She said, leaning into him. When they stopped in the elevator she turned to him, standing on her toes and kissing him softly. He laughed and pulled back enough to speak.

"I wasn't done asking questions." He said, slightly teasing. Clary smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into another kiss.

"I was done answering them." She whispered, pulling away for only a second to speak, giggling against his mouth.

"I missed you." He said.

"It was only a few hours."

He kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer, "I still missed you."

She laughed again as the elevator stopped, pulling away. "Alright. Come on, let's watch a movie or something."

...

Clary and Jace sat together on the couch in one of the only rooms with a tv. Clary and Jonathan had insisted it be installed a few years back. Their parents agreed, but they had had to train more often than usual. They had barely kept their promise, but it was too late to just get rid of the tv by then.

Clary's legs were curled onto the couch as she leaned against Jace, who rested his head against hers. She shifted, trying to get more comfortable, and Jace kissed the top of her head lightly.

"Comfortable yet?" He whispered. She nodded, leaning against him once more.

"You smell like coffee you know." He commented, his voice still hushed. Clary stifled a giggle.

"Clary, did you get coffee without me?" He said, sounding mock hurt.

"Maybe," Clary said, teasing slightly. Jace's eyebrows wrinkled together.

"When'd you go and do that?" He asked, confused.

"I stopped for coffee after my art class. Why does it matter?" She replied, looking up at him.

"There isn't a coffee shop within at least 10 blocks from your art studio. That'd be one heck of a detour for you." He said quickly, sitting up stiffly.

"Your point is...?" Clary responded, sitting up as well and pouting at him.

"Clary, there's something you aren't telling me. What's going on?" His tone was serious now as he faced her. Clary groaned and rolled her eyes, "Fine I skipped class to go get coffee. Happy now?"

"But you said you wouldn't skip class, not even for me! And especially not with Sebastian running around!" He said, incredulously.

"Well how else am I supposed to see him! He's my best friend, do you expect me never to talk to him again just because he's banned from the Institute?" Clary exploded, standing up angrily.

"Him as in who? Sebastian?" Jace asked calmly.

"Yes! Who else?" Clary yelled. Jace stared at her, surprise written across his face, then he groaned, putting his face in his hands, "Oh Clary, Clary, Clary. My poor little Clary. I am so sorry."

"Sorry? Why would you be sorry? Jace, what is going on?" She asked, beginning to panic. He didn't respond.

"Jace?" She asked again, worried. He sighed, leaning back on the couch and patting the seat next to him.

"Come here, Clary." He said, his voice quiet. She hesitated, then went and sat next to him. He pulled her close and she curled into him, slightly afraid about what was going on.

"I need you to do me a favor, and to do it without question. Okay? Can you do that?" He asked, his hand running up and down her arm comfortingly. She hesitated, then nodded, "Okay."

"I want you to concentrate, really hard, on everything you did today. _Exactly_ what you did. Start with right before you left for your art class. Talk to me, say out loud, everything you can remember." He said. Clary took a shaky breath, frightened by his sudden odd behaviour, before saying, "I remember gathering my things, getting ready to go. But you wanted me to stay, because you wanted to spend more time with me."

"Why else did I want you to stay? Think really hard. What was the real reason I didn't want you to go." He interrupted her. Her eyebrows came together and she squeezed her eyes shut. She was confused as to why he would ask such a question, but she didn't say anything. Her head began to ache, but she ignored it. There was a fog in her mind, blocking something out. It was hard as a wall, sharp when she mentally reached out to touch it. She wasn't sure what it was blocking, but she was curious. She pushed her mind through it, trying to remember.

"You... you didn't want me to go. Because it was dangerous." She paused.

"Why was it dangerous?" Jace asked softly. She dug deeper, mentally pushing through the fog, sweat breaking out on her forehead. Clary shook her head, unable to get anywhere, "I can't remember. I-"

"Don't stop trying. Keep going." Jace encouraged. He gently cupped her face with his hands, turning it slightly. She barely felt it, her senses numb.

"Keep thinking. Keep trying. I'm going to help you, but you have to keep trying to get through the mental block. When I say, I want you to open your eyes, and look into mine. Look _nowhere_ but my eyes. You understand?" Jace said. She nodded slightly.

"Okay," He took a breath. "Three. Two. _One._" Clary's eyes opened and her headache turned to a full blown migraine. She groaned, reaching up and clutching it as she went to close her eyes again.

"Look at me Clary, look in my eyes!" Jace said urgently, willing her to keep her eyes open. She did as she was told, locking eyes with him. They were completely black, no whites showing, with gold flecks in them. As she looked in his eyes, the fog in her mind softened, and the migraine returned to being only a headache. The fog was no longer a sharp wall, but something she could push into and navigate through.

"Now, tell me," Jace said softly. "What do you remember?"

"Everything," She gasped lightly. Images flashed before her mental eyes as she remember the past day, then the day before, all in rewind, yet still comprehensible to her. "Sebastian. He- he messed with my head. I left for my art class, and didn't want to be late so I took a shortcut and he found me and I tried Jace I tried to get away but-" Jace gently placed a hand over her mouth. She was babbling and couldn't stop, lost in the thoughts she was unburying.

"Shh, it's okay. It's not your fault." He said soothingly. "Now, come back to me Clary. It's going to be hard, but you need to come back to reality. Leave your memories there. Focus on me, on my voice. Focus on the tv, and the movie that's playing. Focus on the feel of my hands. _Focus_." Clary attempted to pull back from her thoughts. They were tempting, teasing. Ready to let her know everything about herself and her life from when she was too little to remember. He was right, it was hard. She wanted to relive everything in that moment. But she ignored it, mentally turning her back. Slowly she began to hear Jaces voice. She hadn't realized until now that he'd been speaking in her mind. As she focused she felt sluggish and tired, every limb heavy and impossible to hold up. She pulled herself away from the memories, trying to pull her back. When she was finally free of her own mind she blinked, belatedly realizing Jace was saying her name.

"Clary? Can you hear me? Clary?" He was saying.

"Yes." She said, lightly shaking her head. "I can hear you Jace. I'm here."

"And do you remember everything? What's real and what's not?" He asked urgently. She nodded tiredly, "Yes. Sebastian's evil and you've got some explaining to do." He sighed, relieved, pulling her close and into a hug.

"I'm so sorry Clary. And I'm really glad you're alright." He said. His voice was getting quieter to her ears though, and when she pulled back from the hug, her vision went black as she fainted.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Break**

**A/N: This is just a short chapter to get everyone through the time it's going to take me to come up with an entire other chapter. It's fluff. And implied things. It's also not been edited because I'm lazy, so mind the mistakes. I'll post again asap, promise~**

Clary woke in her bed, Jace sitting in the chair beside it. His head was propped on his hand, and his eyes were shut. She smiled softly, sitting up slowly and propping herself against the backboard. She yawned, wincing at the slight headache she had. She dug out a bottle of Motrin from the nightstand drawer, then stood and walked to the bathroom. Getting a glass of water, she took two of the pills, hoping to help the headache. When she came back to the bedroom, Jace was still asleep in the chair. Clary distantly wondered how long she'd been out. The whole experience from earlier had frightened her, and she didn't need to make it worse by sleeping all day. It didn't look like Jace was going to wake up anytime soon, so Clary grabbed a towel and went back to the bathroom.

After the much needed shower, Clary emerged from the bathroom once more, wrapped in a towel. In hindsight she probably should have gotten her clothes before she showered, but it was too late for that now. Jace was laying on the bed, one hand propping up his head. The other was flipping pages in a notebook; Clary's drawing notebook to be exact. Clary yelped in surprise, darting across the room and snatching it from him.

"Jace! What do you think you're doing?" She asked, clutching the notebook tight. He laughed, putting his hands up in an "I surrender" position.

"Relax Clary. It's only some drawings." He said. She gasped.

"'Only some drawings'? Honestly, you're just making this worse on yourself!" She held up a hand to stop him from saying more. "I'm stopping you there, idiot. If I ever catch you with one of my sketch pads or notebooks or anything along those lines again without my permission, by the angel Jace, I'd probably kill you! Or at least seriously injure you."

"Oh?" He said, raising an eyebrow. "And have you ever fought me before? I'm just as strong as you are, if not stronger. Demon blood, remember?"

"Oh don't even start this." She said, turning her back and putting the notebook on a dresser. He chuckled, "Alright." She huffed, turning back to him.

"Good. Now, how long was I out?" She asked, softening her tone.

"Just overnight and half a day. It's probably around lunch time now actually." He replied, sitting up and sitting criss-cross on the bed.

"That long?" She groaned. "That's not "just" anything!" She rubbed her forehead. Her headache had grown faint, but it was still there, still persistent.

"Clary relax. You needed the rest anyway." He said. Suddenly he stood. "And honestly woman if you don't put some clothes on soon this'll be known as the worst torture I've ever gone through!" He practically yelled, gesturing to her. She looked down at herself, realizing she was, in fact, only wearing a towel. She giggled.

"Torture? And why is it _torture_?" She asked, walking closer to him.

"Because I'm restraining myself." He said, taking a small step back.

"And why would you do that?" She asked, biting her lip.

"I'm not sure it's appropriate at the moment to do _this_." He reached forward, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close. She looked up at him, her breath quickening.

"I could use the distraction." She whispered as she stood on her toes and kissed him as he pulled her onto the bed.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry that the last chapter was so short and that it's been taking me longer and longer to post things. And sorry this one's so short too. But hey, at least I got something up, right? RIGHT? It's not edited so beware of that. As always thanks for reviews and follows and favorites, Send criticism and blah blah blah. Stay lovely~**

With a yawn, Jonathan entered the kitchen for some breakfast, hair tousled from sleep. It was surprisingly empty. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he made himself some cereal. As he sat and ate, he tried to remember if he was forgetting something, some reason why the kitchen was empty for breakfast. The Lightwoods had left yesterday, but would be back in a day or two. With a start, he remembered that both his parents had left as well, for some business with the Clave. The same reason the Lightwoods has left. He wondered still where Jace and Clary were, suspicious. Maybe they'd grabbed breakfast early or something. It was unlike Clary to sleep in, so he doubted that she'd be late for the meal.

At that moment Jace walked in, hair messy, with Clary and her own bed-head trailing behind him. She sat while Jace went to the fridge, looking for something to make them. Jonathan eyed them, then turned to Clary.

"Good morning." He greeted.

"Morning," she smiled weakly, still waking up.

"You sleep late?" He asked. She nodded, "Mhmm."

"That's unlike you," He murmured. If she heard him she ignored him, instead addressing Jace.

"Are you gonna make pancakes?" She asked.

"Yeah, as soon as I find the non-existent eggs in this fridge." He said, shutting it in irritation. Clary laughed, "Guess that means we're going out for breakfast then?"

"Unless you want cereal." He said. Jonathan glared, "Something against cereal?"

"Nothing at all, but pancakes sound much better." Jace replied. "You're welcome to join us, but, since you're already eating..." Jonathan refrained from rolling his eyes and said, "No, you go ahead. I'll stay here with my_ cereal._" Clary laughed, following Jace out of the kitchen. Jonathan stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed again.

Jonathan was left alone in the kitchen once more, although more irritated than before. He couldn't be mad though. Clary was so happy, smiling and laughing all the time. It was different, but good. He refused to interfere because of that. With a sigh he finished his cereal, dropping his bowl in the sink and leaving the kitchen to be empty once more.

...

Jonathan walked the crowded streets of New York, lost in thought. Normally he'd be on the lookout for demons, but not only was it day, but this area was particularly safe, having very few demons and the ones that had been there long dead. Truthfully though, he was kind of hoping for a demon to attack, just so he wasn't so bored. Without Clary or the Lightwoods to hang out with, he was alone. He didn't have any mundane friends, not that he'd want any, and actually knew very few people outside of the people he grew up around. So here he was; bored, alone, a thousand thoughts running through his head, lost in them, and no one to tell them to.

Someone stepped in front of him, stopping him and causing him to almost run into the guy. He looked through his white-blond hair at the other boy, annoyed.

"Watch where you're going will ya?" He said, trying to push past him. The boy only stepped to the side with him, blocking his path. He brushed back his black hair, scowling at Jonathan.

"Well, if you aren't the definition of rude I don't know what is." He said.

"Excuse me? Have you ever meet anyone in this city?" Jonathan replied, appalled.

"Well as a Shadowhunter, Jonathan, you really should have more manners." He said, smirking.

"And who exactly are you then?" He asked, reaching down the his belt, where a seraph blade was.

"I wouldn't do that. We're in public, and it seems you've forgotten your glamour runes." The black haired boy suggested. Jonathan scowled now. Whoever he was, he was right. He couldn't just pull a blazing angel blade in public. He looked the boy in the eyes, still scowling.

"Who are you?" He asked threateningly. The boy smirked, his eyes going black, the whites of his eyes gone.

"_Sebastian_."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Oh my it's been a little while, huh? Sorry about that... Anyway, I made this chapter a little longer to make up for it? It may or may not be edited... Anywho, thanks for reading and send reviews and such! Stay lovely~**

Clary leaned on Jace's shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. Jace smoothed her hair back behind her ear, a smile playing across his lips.

"Tired, aren't we," He remarked. A soft chuckle left her lips and she groaned tiredly before mumbling, "Well yeah, it's not like I always stay up so late and get up that early. I didn't get proper sleep." Jace laughed, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer to him.

"You'll live, I'm sure." He responded.

"Mhmm," She groaned, not opening her eyes.

"Well, I'm assuming you're done eating." He said, shifting slightly. She nodded. "Let's go home then. I don't think falling asleep in public is the best idea." She groaned again, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Jace slid out of the booth, tossing money on the table to pay for their meal, then reaching down and grabbing Clary's hand, pulling her to her feet. She dragged her feet all the way to the street, until Jace stopped her.

"Come on, we'll get nowhere if you drag your feet." He said.

"Well then why don't you carry me or something?" She snapped. He shrugged in response, "Hop on then." He turned around, urging her to let him give her a piggyback ride to the Institute. She laughed weakly, hopping on and wrapping her legs around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, her arms hanging down in front of them the rest of the way.

…

Jace gently shook Clary's shoulder.

"Clary, Claaary." He called softly. "Wake up, Clary."

She rolled over to face him, glaring up at him. "What do you want?"

"It's about dinner time you know. And you've not eaten much today. You really shouldn't deprive yourself of food." Jace rambled. Clary laughed, "Jace, you're ridiculous. missing one meal isn't going to kill me."

"Okay fine I missed you." He admitted. "Happy now."

"No. you woke me up!" She said, sitting up. He gave a half apologetic smile, "Sorry?" She rolled her eyes, hitting his shoulder with a pillow.

"Not quite forgiven then." He said, putting his hands up in defense.

"You're such a pain sometimes Herondale." She said, crawling to the edge of the bed and hanging her legs off.

"I don't doubt it." He said, standing up and tossing the pillow back to her. "Anyway, I think I'll go to the training room, until you decide to be less of a grouch." She stuck her tongue out at him, throwing the pillow at him again. He dodged it, ducking out the door. He popped his head back in for a moment, "Meet me up there so we can spar." He winked and left before he could reply.

…

Clary, having eaten and dressed in training gear, walked down through the many hallways on her way to the training room. She paused by Jonathan's door. She hadn't seen him all day, but lately that wasn't unusual. Something didn't feel right though. She hesitated, her hand on the door knob. She mentally shrugged, opening the door. The lights were off, the only thing illuminating the room a witchlight glowing softly on the nightstand by the bed. She paused, letting her eyes adjust to the sudden darkness. She fumbled for the lightswitch, but, after flicking it up and down a few times, she determined the lights weren't going to turn on. She sighed, walking into the room and grabbing the witchlight. She heard the door shut, and whirled around with a gasp as the witchlight glowed brighter. By the door she saw Jonathan.  
"Jonathan!" She scolded, relaxing. "You scared me!"  
"Sorry." He replied, monotone.

"Why aren't the lights working?" She asked, gesturing to the lights above. Looking up at them, she realized there wasn't a light bulb in the socket.  
"Jonathan, what's going on?" She asked, puzzled. She slowly walked towards him, to the door. He side stepped between the door and Clary.  
"Dearest little sister. You aren't leaving so soon are you?" He asked, smirking. "This is the first time we've spent time together in weeks. Ever since that _demon boy_ showed up-"  
"Watch what you say exactly Jonathan. You forget just how much freedom I'm giving you." A voice said from the corner of the room. Clary shone the witchlight in his direction, revealing Sebastian leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He smirked at her surprised face, "Hello again, little girl." Clary dropped the witchlight in surprise, backing up rapidly. Her back hit the wall as the light went out. She couldn't hear anything but her own breath for a minute or two, then Sebastian spoke again.

"No greeting? None at all? And here I thought I was your best friend." He said, fake-offended. The witchlight lit up again and Sebastian was standing right in front of Clary. She jumped, giving a small shriek, before looking down.

"Jonathan!" He called, not turning his head. "Come hold your sister. I've got a certain demon-y boy to deal with." Jonathan came over tugged on Clary's arm, pulling her away from Sebastian and then holding her wrists behind her back. Still not looking up, Clary heard the door open and shut, then a soft click of the lock. Jonathan released Clary and she dashed towards the door, tugging it. It was no use. She reached for her stele, only to realize it wasn't there, and must still be back in her room.  
"Let me out!" She screamed, her voice breaking as she banged her fists against the door. "Open the door! Sebastian!"

Eventually her screams turned to sobs and she sank to the ground, turning and leaning against the door, hands covering her face. She took a deep breath, trying to gather herself. This wasn't like her, to give up so easily. She looked up, scanning the room. It was lit up again, a witchlight on the nightstand, just like it'd been when she'd walked in. Jonathan sat on the bed, twirling something in his hands, eyes set on it intently. Clary stood and walked over, sitting next to him. She bumped his shoulder with her own, the way she would do when he wasn't being manipulated by an evil demon thing. He looked at her sideways, smiling. There was a dull ache in her chest, knowing that that smile may never be genuine again. Rage boiled through her veins because of it, because of Sebastian. She pushed it down, trying to smile back at Jonathan. He frowned.

"I know that smile you know. It's fake." He said bluntly, looking back down at his hands.

"Can't fool you, can I Jon." She said, almost choking on her tears. He gave a short laugh, "You haven't called me that in a while." He paused. "Something up?" Clary laughed, short and disbelieving. He really had no idea what he was doing.

"Jonathan, do you even realize what's going on?" She asked, the disbelief creeping into her tone. He frowned, his eyebrows coming together.

"What do you mean? We're hanging out. I realize we haven't done that in a while, but that's nothing new." He said, face scrunched up in confusion. Clary's hand came up and covered her mouth. She turned away from him, tears falling. It was no use, she knew. Even if she could make him realize what was true and what wasn't, he would probably never be the same again. She dropped her face into her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. Jonathan rubbed her back soothingly, "Rough day then, huh."

"You have no idea," Clary replied, a sob escaping. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against him.

"It's okay. Everything will be okay." He said soothingly._ As if_, she thought. She leaned against him though. She might as well enjoy one of the last brother-sister moments she'd ever have with him.

…

Jace had been warming up in the training room for a little while, waiting for Clary to get ready and meet him up there. He was starting to get a little annoyed that she hadn't come up yet, at least to tell him she didn't want to spar or something. Pausing a moment, and covered in sweat, Jace took a drink from the water bottle he'd brought up. After some consideration, Jace decided he'd go and find Clary. He was putting the weapons he'd been practicing with away, when he heard the door open and shut. Without turning around, he said, "Well it took you long enough. You could've just said you didn't want to spar."

"Oh, but it's so much more _fun_ to surprise you," replied a male voice. Jace knew it well, had grown up with it by his side.

"_Sebastian_," Jace growled, whirling around, grabbing a dagger in one hand and a seraph blade in the other. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to finish what you should have already done, brother." He said, inspecting his nails for dirt.

"We aren't brothers," Jace hissed menacingly.

"The demon blood running through both of our veins says otherwise," Sebastian said curtly, snapping to attention. "Don't anger me Jace. I don't want to have to kill you."

"It's nearly impossible_ not_ to anger you, with that temper of yours, and you know it." Jace replied snarkily with a short, sharp laugh. Sebastian glared, nostrils flaring and eyes going black.

"You asked for it," He hissed before dashing forward, a blade coming out of seemingly nowhere.

Jace rolled his eyes before dodging easily, moving just as supernaturally fast as the other boy.

"Your major fault has always been, Sebastian, your temper. You let it control you in battle. Charging head on doesn't always get you what you want." Jace said, hitting Sebastians side with the hilt of his dagger. Sebastian turned, growling.

"It does if you're strong enough, and oh am I strong enough," He replied, lunging again with his sword. Jace brought up his own blade, matching Sebastians strength. He was slightly worried about how long he would be able to match Sebastian, having already been worked for some time. Something must have shown in his eyes, because Sebastian smirked. They both took steps back. Sebastian brought the hand that wasn't holding the sword up to swipe his black hair out of his face. Jace took the opportunity to lunge forward, his blade in hand and arm outstretched. Sebastian side-stepped, avoiding the blow and Jace stumbled forward. As the blond tumbled to the ground Sebastian elbowed him as hard as he could. Jace collapsed, unable to get up. Just before blacking out, he saw Sebastian kneel in front of him.

"I'm not all you seem to think I am, _brother_." Sebastian said. Then everything went black.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry that it's been so long! I meant to post earlier in celebration of the movie, but I've been too busy to write. I made this chapter a bit longer (kinda-ish not really) to make up for it though, and to celebrate COB. I took some parts of COFA in this chapter, and just want to state that I own nothing, it's all Cassandra Clare's work. ALSO, I didn't officially edit it, so mind any mistakes.**

**So, I believe we're nearing the end of this fic! Don't worry, I think I'm going to start another one. What do you guys think of a post-apocalyptic verse?**

**Finally, I hope you all saw City of Bones in theaters, and if you haven't go watch it! It's awesome, and I really enjoyed, as a lot of the people who've seen it have. Thanks for waiting so long and thanks for follows and reviews, etc. etc. Stay lovely~**

When Jace woke up, the first thing he noticed was the pounding headache. The next thing he noticed was how dark it was. With a groan he tried to sit up, only to realize his hands were tied. He tugged on them and was able to tell that there was a rope tying them to something a little ways away. Blinking through the darkness, he groaned as everything came back to him. Sebastian. Jace couldn't believe he'd been beaten by him. He usually won the fights between them. He'd been distracted though. Worrying about Clary. _Clary._ Where was she? What'd Sebastian do to her? Jace tugged on the knot around his hands, causing it to bite into his wrists. He had to get out of here. Find Clary. Find around, eventually he was able to get his witchlight to fall out of his pocket. After another minute or so of twisting, he was able to reach the rock and light the room up. He was still in the training room. Now if only he could get his hands unbound. Looking around the room, he realized the rope didn't allow him to get very close to any of the weapons. The closest thing he could find was a dagger-his dagger- about 10 feet away from him. He tried to reach it. The rope allowed him to get a little further, but not quite enough. He turned, trying to reach with his foot. His foot just barely brushed it, causing it to spin slightly. He stretched as far as he could, his bare toes wrapping around the blade. He winced as it cut his toe, but didn't let go. He pulled it close enough before releasing it, then picking it up with his hands. He started working at the rope, cutting the closest spot he could reach. After a minute it broke and he was free. He tucked the dagger into his pants, then used his stele to quickly heal his foot. Finally, he picked up the witchlight and left the training room.

He had to find Clary, so the first place he went ws her room. She wasn't there. He checked his room next, then the kitchen. All to no avail. He ended up resorting to checking all the rooms in the Institute. It took him awhile, but eventually he found her in Jonathan's bedroom. She was asleep, her hair a mess. She looked stressed and upset, like she was having a nightmare. Getting closer he saw that she'd been crying. Jace got suddenly angry. She seemed unharmed, but whatever Sebastian had done wasn't good. Jace couldn't wait any longer. He had to go after Sebastian. Finding some paper and a pen he quickly scribbled a note to Clary. He set it on the bedside table, then left, quietly closing the door behind him.

It was time to find Sebastian and stop him once and for all. No matter what it took.

…

When Clary woke, there were rays of sunlight streaming through the curtains, just barely lighting up the room. She sighed and stretched, slightly disoriented. Looking around, she suddenly remembered everything, and sat up with a jolt. Blood rushed to her head and made her dizzy, but she ignored it as she looked around the room. Jonathan was gone. Squeezing her eyes shut she tried to remember what had happened. It slowly came back to her. Being trapped in this room, her sitting with Jonathan and talking, just talking. Like they'd done when they were a younger, they'd reminisced about all the good times and bad times they'd had. All the stupid stuff they did together, almost getting killed on demon hunts. Clary remembered one story in particular. Clary had been 13, and Jonathan had been allowed to go out and hunt a demon. Clary had been so jealous that she snuck after him. When he noticed her, he tried to make her go home, but she was too stubborn. He was so distracted by trying to make Clary go home, while protecting her at the same time, that he hadn't been able to dodge a demon bite. It had bit his neck, and the poison had nearly killed him. He had been sick in the infirmary for at least a week. Clary had felt terrible about it, but for some reason Jonathan had forgiven her, never blamed her for it or anything.

Now Clary plopped back down into the bed, rolling over and burying her face into the pillow. It smelled like him, like Jonathan. She bit back tears as she tried to recall what had happened later in the night, before she'd fallen asleep.

...

_Sebastian opened the door and slipped in, shutting it quickly behind him. He was carrying a witchlight, and was limping slightly. Clary smirked at that, although she was worried about Jace._

_"Where's Jace?" She asked, standing from the bed. "What have you done to him?"_

_"He'll live." Was the only reply she got. He looked at Jonathan, "Come on, time to go."_

_"Just," He hesitated. "Just a few minutes?" Their eyes locked for a moment, but Sebastian nodded, mumbling, "Alright, alright." Sebastian slipped out the door again and Jonathan gently tugged Clary's arm, urging her back to the bed. She gave in, although reluctantly. She looked at Jonathan finally and saw it in his eyes. This was it, this was the last time she would see him, at least the last bit of the real him. Clary bit her lip to keep from crying and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, rubbing circles on her back._

_"Shh, it'll be okay." He soothed._

_"How do you know? What will I do without you?" She sniffed, pulling away to look at his face again. He wiped a tear off her cheek and said, "You don't need me. You'll be fine Clary. You're amazing on your own, and you've got Jace." He eyes were glistening. Clary sniffed and gave a short, sarcastic laugh._

_"Yeah, sure, because I totally don't want my brother around," She said jokingly, but her voice cracked and more tears came. Jonathan pulled her close again. Neither of them said anything for a while, and eventually Clary stopped crying._

_"Lay down, Clary. I'll sing you to sleep, like I used to when you were afraid of the dark." He said quietly. She nodded and laid down, head resting on her hand as she listened to him singing in french. It was something he'd learned from the Lightwoods, when Clary had been about 9 or 10 and hadn't wanted to sleep without a nightlight. It had burnt out and she had come into Jonathan's room, too scared to be on her own. He sang quietly, and she was soon asleep._

...

Clary screamed into the pillow in frustration. She felt so useless. Unable to get out of the room. Unable to stop Sebastian. Unable to save her brother. What about Jace? Where was he? Why didn't he find her? Help her? _Do something?_ Determined to do _something_, Clary sat up again, ignoring the aching pain in the back of her mind. On the nightstand, a note caught her eye. It was folded, and written on the outside was her name. She couldn't decide if she was thankful or not that she didn't recognize it as her brother's handwriting. With a sigh she opened the note.

_Clary,_

_First and foremost, I'm sorry. For everything Sebastian's done, and everything I've done. If it weren't for me, Sebastian would never have come here._

_I'm writing this watching the sun come up. You're asleep, dreams moving behind your restless eyelids. I wish I knew what you were thinking. I wish I could slip into your head and see the world the way you do. I wish I could see myself the way you do. But maybe I don't want to see that. Maybe it would only prove to me everything I already believe of myself._

_I'm a demon Clary. I know here, you're probably thinking 'only part-demon' but that's enough. That's all there needs to be for me to know that I can't stay this way. I can't be with you. I'm only ever putting you in danger._

_All night I've watched you sleeping, watched the moonlight come and go, casting its shadows across your face in black and white. I've never seen anything more beautiful. I think of the life we could have had if things were different, a life where I wasn't a demon, but an angel, like you. But things are different, and I can't look at you without feeling like I've tricked you into loving me._

_And so that's why I have to do this. I'm going after Sebastian and I'm fixing this. I'll put everything right and I'll be out of your life. _  
_I only ask of you one more thing. Don't follow me. And forget me. It's better that way, for both of us._

_-Jace_

A dry sob escaped Clary as she bit her lip. Now she'd lost not one, but two of the most important people in her entire life. She felt impossibly frustrated and even more useless than before. She almost crumpled the note, but decided against it at the last minute. Instead she folded it carefully and tucked it into her pocket. Taking a deep breath, she left Jonathan's room, shutting the door with a soft but definitive _click. _


End file.
